Alternate Activity 2: Covenant Art

Materials for Activity

Newsprint, markers and tape

Markers, crayons, and colored pencils

Old magazines

Scissors, including left-handed scissors

Preparation for Activity

On top of seven sheets of newsprint, write "Living... " and then the words of one UU Principle. Try to use a different color marker for each Principle. For example, the first sheet will say, "Living... the inherent worth and dignity of every person."

Position the sheets of newsprint around the room on tables or on the floor with markers, crayons, colored pencils, magazines and scissors nearby.

Write the guiding questions on a sheet of newsprint and post.

Description of Activity

Youth reflect artistically on the covenant that they as Unitarian Universalists make to affirm and promote our seven Principles.

Begin by directing the group's attention to the seven sheets of newsprint around the room. Ask someone near each sheet to read aloud the words written at the top. Tell them that for the next 25 minutes they will be depicting in words and images how they personally live out that Principle and how they live it out together in community such as a youth group or congregation. Read aloud the guiding questions you have posted and invite participants to respond to the questions with their art:

What are the actions associated with this Principle? Write these words around the border of the newsprint.

How do you personally live out this Principle, and how do we live it out together as a group and congregation? Draw images and make collages inside the border of action words.

Consider: Where am I in this picture? What actions am I taking?

Encourage participants not to spend too much time on one Principle, but to try to contribute to the artwork for all seven.

After 25 minutes, ask participants to tape the seven newsprint sheets to the wall. Review together each one, inviting a couple of participants to share their action words and images.

After the workshop, consider posting this either in the youth room or somewhere else in the congregation as a reminder and an inspiration. If posting publicly, write an explanation of the activity to post next to the group's work.

Including All Participants

If some participants are not confident about their artistic skills or would rather contribute in some other way, encourage them to focus more on writing action words around the border of each newsprint, or to use the magazines to make a collage.